


Why is He Here

by RomanoCheesy



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Post-apocalyptic AU, Tea, Unsympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, bit o' spanish but I tried, help these boyes, mild medical stuff, one concerned Patton, remus is trash man, so is Janus tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:15:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23855218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomanoCheesy/pseuds/RomanoCheesy
Summary: A post-apocalyptic au I cooked up one day, enjoy! Tags will be updated as chapters come out.
Kudos: 13





	1. What is it

The explosion had come as a surprise. The nearby nuclear power plant had gone off, killing millions. As far as they were concerned, Logan, Roman and Patton were the only survivors. Meaning the human race was pretty much doomed. But thanks to Logan’s over-preparedness for literally any situation and Roman’s family’s wealth, they had a bunker up in the mountains. It had a view of a small farming town in the valley, and inside the bunker was fully self-sustaining with a farm that Patton ran, and a facility Logan had designed himself that filtered water from above and converted the nuclear radiation into electricity. It was truly a work of genius. 

Logan was a fairly tall man with pale skin from a lack of sunlight and neat, dark chocolate hair carefully parted slightly off centre. He had stern grey eyes framed by rectangular reading glasses which he wore all the time, insisting they “assisted his appearance”. 

Roman was slightly shorter than Logan but far more muscular. He had flawless tanned skin and dark hair that was swept to the side, and dark eyes that held a mischievous smirk to them. He insisted every day to go scavenging in the nearby town for possible food sources and other helpful resources, though both Logan and Patton knew it was truly because the man could not sit still for any amount of time and despised being kept indoors. 

Patton was the shortest of the group, but made up for it with his dad-like personality. He had a blushed complexion dotted with freckles and his blue eyes always twinkled with optimism, even when things seemed to be going terribly. He had fluffy caramel hair that completed his appearance, and was never without his favourite grey cat hoodie tied about his shoulders, a gift from Logan. Oh, and thanks to his dad-bod he gave only the best hugs. 

The three had been living in the bunker for two months, maybe three, when Roman made an astonishing discovery. 


	2. Who is he?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman makes a shocking discovery.

“Guys, you may wanna see this, like, now!” Roman called from the doorway. 

“What is it?” Logan asked, ascending the cold stairway. Patton quickly overtook him and gasped at the sight of what Roman was looking at. Logan finally reached the doorway and saw as well, and froze. Curled up just outside the door was a small skeletal boy with long, greasy purple hair and deep eye bags. He was shivering, wrapped up in an oversized, worn out black hoodie. 

“Oh my goodness, how did he get here?” Patton asked, his voice full of concern. 

“I don’t know, I was merely out for my daily mission and there he was.” Roman stated. 

“He looks malnourished and exhausted. We should bring him inside and care for him, at least until he recovers.” Logan suggested. 

“He may be a spy or a villain!” Roman scoffed. 

“Hey, he’s just a kid, look at him!” Patton said, already picking up the small boy. 

“Patton does have a point, I do not see how a child could have malicious intent.” Logan stated, turning around and heading back down the stairs. Patton followed suit, carefully carrying the thin boy. Roman muttered something frustratedly and headed out for his intended mission. 

“Where d’you think he came from?” Patton asked Logan, placing the boy on a fold-out camping bed in the medical ward. 

“It is possible he came from the town in the valley, that seems the most possible option. However, we will have to wait until he is awake to ask him.” Logan said. 

“Oh. We should check if he’s hurt.” Patton said, changing the topic. Logan nodded and unzipped the boy’s oversized hoodie. He pulled the purple shirt up and his usually emotionless eyes widened. Patton looked and let out a small gasp of concern. The boy’s rib cage was clearly visible and his chest and stomach were riddled with bruises and in some places, small gashes. It looked as if someone had repeatedly beaten the boy and when they tired of that, began cutting him. Patton’s breath began to shake as tears slipped down his face. 

“The poor kiddo!” he said, his voice cracking. 

“It appears he has suffered regular physical abuse. Patton, are you alright?” Logan asked, seeing how distraught the father figure was. Patton rubbed his eyes. 

“I’m fine. It’s just- who would do this to a child?” he stammered. 

“Would you like me to attend to his injuries?” Logan asked, softening his tone. 

“I guess. Just let me know if he wakes up, mk?” Patton said, tears still falling. 

“Of course. Make yourself some tea, I will keep you updated on his condition.” Logan said, placing a gentle hand on Patton’s arm. The chubby man nodded and left to start some water boiling. Meanwhile, Logan began cleaning all the open wounds he could find on the boy. Some injuries required bandages, but Logan was finished within the half-hour. He placed the large black hoodie on the bench and put the boy’s shirt back on, in time for Patton to return, two mugs of tea in hand. 

“I made you some as well, we both know how you get without it.” He said, his voice softer than usual but his eyes maintaining that optimism. Logan accepted the mug and blew on it. 

“Thank you, Patton. He is still unconscious, however most of his injuries are very minor. He should be fine.” he said. The father figure nodded and sipped on his own tea, before recoiling. 

“Ow, hot!” he said, now sporting a burnt tongue. He giggled a bit at his own mistake. Logan smiled, grateful to see Patton smiling after such a distressing discovery. The two men leaned against the bench, slowly sipping their warm tea. 

“I can bring the mugs back to the kitchen and rinse them if you would like, Patton.” Logan said, after finishing his tea. Patton smiled and finished his own beverage. 

“Thanks, Lolo.” he said, handing over his mug. Logan took it and left the room, leaving Patton to watch the boy. A few minutes passed when the boy’s eyes fluttered open. They were as dark as the bottom of the ocean. He was instantly sitting up and looking around nervously. 

“Heya, kiddo! You’re awake! My name’s Patton, what’s yours?” Patton asked cheerfully, sporting a beaming smile. The boy locked eyes with him, shaking. 

“V.” he stuttered out. 


	3. What Happened to Him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is this?

The boy, V, hadn’t said much at all since he woke up. He seemed terrified of everything, which only added to Patton’s concern. He wouldn’t look the man in the eye and fidgeted with his hands a lot. He made grabby hands toward his hoodie quite often, but Patton intended to try to patch it up so the boy wasn’t walking around in a rag. Speaking of, V hadn’t even tried to get up thus far. He just reached for the oversized jacket as if he could stretch his arms out to grab it. 

“Sorry, kiddo, you can’t have that back yet. I need to fix it for you.” Patton said to him. The boy started to tear up and hugged his knees to his chest. His breathing hitched and became uneven. It was then that Patton realised three things. First, V was having a panic attack. Second, the jacket was probably a source of comfort. Third, he was keeping the jacket hostage. He carefully placed the jacket around the boy’s shoulders, unsure whether he should touch him or not. 

“V, I need you to listen to me. Ok? I need you to breathe for me. In for four seconds, ok?” Patton said softly to the boy, who shakily breathed in. 

“Good job. Now can you hold it for seven seconds?” Patton said as the boy held the breath in, beginning to loosen his posture the smallest amount. 

“Well done, V. Now breathe out for eight. That’s it.” he said softly. The boy exhaled. It was still shaky. Patton guided him through the breathing exercise until he was breathing evenly again. The boy slipped his arms into the hoodie and zipped it up, pulling the deep hood over his head. At that convenient moment, Logan returned. 

“Salutations. I see he has awakened.” he said, moving to Patton’s side. 

“This is Lolo. He’s not gonna hurt you.” he said to V. V looked at the tall man from behind his long bangs, before looking away again. 

“Please, Patton, introduce me by my name. I do not see the point in such nicknames.” Logan said formally. 

“C’mon, you like them, Logibear!” Patton teased. V let out a small snicker but as soon as the two men turned to face him in astonishment, the boy shrunk down again. 

“Sorry.” he said quietly. 

“What is there to apologise for? I misunderstand.” Logan stated, confused. The boy didn’t respond. 

“Are you uncomfortable with nicknames? We can stop if you want.” Patton said, still smiling. V took a breath. 

“No, not that. I laughed.” he said softly. Patton’s smile broke for just a moment, but if you blinked, you would have missed it. 

“There’s nothing wrong with laughing, kiddo! It’s good for you!” he said, beaming. 

“Y-you’re not gonna hit me?” the boy asked, his breathing speeding up just a bit. 

“Of course not, why would we harm you for expressing enjoyment?” Logan asked. V didn’t respond, but his face was twisted into a mixture of confusion and terror. 

“Oh no, you poor kiddo! You came from a bad place, didn’t you?” Patton asked, visibly attempting to keep himself from launching into a large dad hug with the boy. 

“I got what I deserved there.” He mumbled, trying to get his breathing under control. 

“What did you do to deserve such abuse, out of curiosity?” Logan asked. V pulled himself as far into his hoodie as he could manage. 

“I waste resources. I don’t do anything.” he mumbled, his voice muffled by the hoodie fabric. 

“You don’t waste resources, kiddo. Who told you that?” Patton asked, growing more and more concerned. 

“Don’t wanna say.” V mumbled, his small face poking out of the baggy hoodie. 

“Alright then, you don’t have to. It’s alright. I’m gonna make some food, you see how much you can eat at the moment, mk?” the dad said, standing up. He left the room and Logan decided to take that moment to see if Roman was back. 

“I will be back, V.” he informed the boy, also leaving the room. He ascended the stairs to the heavy door and peeked out the peephole. Sure enough, Roman was back. Logan unlocked the door and opened it. Roman strode in, closing it behind him. 

“Took you long enough!” he scoffed. “There is nothing left in the town. I may explore the warehouse a further ways out tomorrow.”

“Be careful about it.” Logan replied. “The boy is awake.” 

“Brilliant. Who is he?” Roman asked, as if talking about some enemy. 

“He says his name is V and he appears to have escaped from an abusive household recently. Hardly villain material.” Logan stated. 

“But that could just be the mandatory tragic backstory!” Roman declared. 

“Hardly likely. He has regular panic attacks. Are most villains not confident?” Logan countered. Roman drooped, unable to come up with a clever response. He puffed his chest out again and descended into the bunker, Logan following suit. That night they all tucked into another delicious Patton meal, V not eating much but Patton was happy it was at least something. 


	4. Get Out of Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snake appears

The very next day, Roman left to explore the warehouse as he had previously promised. Patton had taken to becoming V’s adoptive father almost instantly, and in return the boy trusted him the most, even occasionally smirking and Patton’s dad jokes. He was terrified of Roman, however. Logan figured it was due to the man’s bravado and loud personality. Then one day, Roman came upon another surprise at the door. 

Roman was about to head out when at the door he saw a man. The man was tall with sandy brown hair mostly hidden under a bowler hat, yellow gloves and one of his brown eyes along with a fair half of his face were covered with a large patch. 

“Greetings. I am looking for my son, have you seen him?” the man said in a smooth voice.

“Maybe? I’ll need you to describe him.” Roman said. Logan popped up the stairs. 

“Who are you talking to?” he asked. The stranger chuckled for just a moment. 

“Forgive me.” he said, tipping his hat. “My name is Janus.” 

“What brings you here, Janus?” Logan asked, Roman chuckling. 

“I am looking for my son. He disappeared a few days ago.” Janus sighed. 

“What does your son look like?” Logan asked. 

“He is small, dark eyes, purple hair.” the man explained. 

“I believe we have him in our care.” Logan said, now more distrusting of the man. He disappeared down the stairs and returned shortly with Patton, who was leading V by the hand. They reached the entrance where Janus was standing and the man and V locked eyes. Janus’ mouth drew into a wide grin. 

“Anxiety, where have you been? Your father and I have been so worried!” he said, reaching for the boy who ducked behind Patton, terrified. Janus’ grin dropped. 

“Come to me, now. I’m taking you home.” the man said, his patience fading and with it, his facade. Patton stood firmer in front of the boy to protect him. 

“Sir, V was mistreated at his previous residence. He has decided to stay with Patton.” Logan said, attempting to diffuse the situation. 

“He’s nine, he doesn’t get to decide. He’s coming with me.” the man said firmly. V poked his head out from behind Patton. 

“I’m fifteen. I wanna stay here.” he said shakily. 

“Your father misses you and I need you back home. Come here.” Janus said, his true colours proving to be rather sour. 

“Remus isn’t my dad anymore. I don’t wanna go back to that room.” V said, now clinging to Patton. 

“Janus, we’re gonna need you to leave now.” Patton said, gently rubbing V’s head to calm the boy down. 

“Very well. I will not return.” Janus said, turning and walking away. Roman popped out and closed the door behind him. 

“What a terrible guy.” Patton said, picking up the trembling boy in his arms. 

“Indeed, he was most distasteful.” Logan said, heading down the stairs. Patton followed, still carrying the boy. 

“I mean, who treats a kid like that? And why did he call V that?” he asked. 

“I believe Anxiety must have been his birth-name. What I am concerned about is what V meant by ‘that room’.” Logan said, making a beeline for the kitchen. He pulled out three mugs and put some water on to boil. Patton took V to his room, a spare storage room that had been cleared out and a bed and a few other things were placed in there. There was also a stack of papers and a few pencils because it turned out V loved to draw. 

“Sorry Janus found me.” the boy said softly, his hood pulled up. 

“It’s fine, kiddo, it wasn’t your fault. Say, what’s your relation to him? He called you his son.” Patton asked. 

“He’s my step-dad. It’s not like he’s worse than Papa though.” V mumbled. 

“It’s alright, kiddo. You don’t have to worry about them, we’re not gonna give you back to them. You’re safe.” Patton said, giving a soft smile. 

“Thanks, Dad,” V said. Patton’s eyes widened and a huge grin spread across his face. He wrapped the boy in a huge dad-hug. The boy flinched at first, but leaned into it. The household enjoyed their first moment of peace in a long time. 


	5. Where is He?

Four days. Four days and still no sign of Roman. He hadn’t returned the day Janus introduced himself, he was just gone without a trace. Patton was losing his mind and Logan wasn’t doing much better, chamomile no longer effectively keeping his stress at bay. He had been impulsively checking the door at least three times a day, even going so far as to venture into the wasteland. V was doing terrible, mostly due to the fact that his Dad was in such a bad state. Then Logan found a note at the door. It was stabbed into the ground with Roman’s hand-carved knife, the paper crumpled. The handwriting on it was neat and cursive in black ink. Logan took the two objects into his study. He gently placed the knife on his desk and read over the note. 

“ _ If you do not return Anxiety to the warehouse in the valley in three days, Roman might not make it. His fate is in your hands, choose wisely.”  _ it read. Logan inhaled sharply. He couldn’t make Patton make this decision, he had to do it. They couldn’t hand over V, there was no telling what they would do to him. But they couldn’t keep him here or Roman would most likely be tortured or killed. There was no winning. But he had to make a decision, there was a deadline and if he didn’t, he was deliberately putting Roman in danger. Meaning that would be his decision. But that was a horrible decision, he and Roman had known each other for years. But then again, Patton had adopted V and it would kill the father figure to have to put his son in the line of danger. He couldn’t do that either. But he had to do something. He could try to rescue Roman from the figurative jaws of the dragon, but that was more Roman’s thing. Logan himself was not built for that kind of action. And Patton couldn’t hurt anyone to save himself. That left rescuing out of the question. Unless he could formulate some plan- 

“Logan!” the man snapped out of his trance to realise Patton was yelling at him. 

“My apologies. How long was I-”

“Fifteen minutes, Lolo. You need to sit down.” Patton said, handing the man a mug of tea. He sat back down on his chair, his legs now aching. 

“I read the note.” Patton said, his tone soft. 

“What are we going to do? If we hand in V, he will get injured and I understand he means a lot to you. However, if we do nothing, Roman may die.” Logan rambled, running a hand through his now-dishevelled hair. 

“We’ll think of something, Lolo. I promise we’ll get Roman back and both of them will be safe and sound.” Patton said, rubbing Logan’s back in a comforting circle. 

“What are you guys doing?” V asked from the doorway. He had seemingly appeared from nowhere. Patton looked at Logan, and they seemingly reached a decision without even talking. 

“Discussing our next course of action.” Logan said. 

“About what? That?” V asked, pointing to the note. 

“Astute observation.” Logan said. V flushed a bit, still getting used to compliments. 

“It’s about Roman, isn’t it?” he asked. Logan paled a bit. 

“Yes, would you mind sharing how you knew?” he asked. 

“Well Ro’s been gone for a while and Janus did show up the other day, and it’s not unlike him to do this.” V said, fiddling with the cuffs of his jacket. 

“Clever boy. Unfortunately there does not appear to be an option in which both sides win.” Logan said, pushing his glasses back up his nose. 

“You can hand me over. They’ll give Ro back and I can get out the way I did last time.” V said, albeit a bit shakily. 

“But what if you get hurt?” Patton asked. 

“I can handle myself, dad. I’ll be fine.” V said. Logan sighed. 

“It may be our best option,” he said, resigned. 

“Alright. But I don't like it.” Patton said. V grabbed his hand. 

“We can do this.” He said, giving the father figure a small smile. Patton returned the smile. 

“We should head off sooner than later.” Logan said. Patton nodded and the three set out to the warehouse. 


	6. Is He Ok?

The journey was longer than expected, but the trio made it nonetheless. They were on a mission. V had held Patton’s hand the whole way, though who was comforting who was a mystery. Logan knocked sharply on the door. They waited for a few seconds before the sound of someone charging approached the door rapidly. There was a loud bang as whoever it was ran into the door, a chain of expletives and then the door opened. Standing there was a man who looked surprisingly similar to Roman, save for the fact that this man had a curly moustache and looked (and smelled) like he hadn’t showered in a long time. He grinned as if he didn’t just run into the door. 

“Hello there! What brings you here?” he said cheerfully. 

“We’re here to get Roman.” Patton said, his tone surprisingly cold. The man smiled wider. 

“Of course! I see you have our property, come right on in!” he said, grinning like the cheshire cat. V squeezed Patton’s hand. The three entered the large warehouse. It was a huge room full of boxes with a kitchen setup in one corner and a door against the back wall. The man led the group to the door which led to a fair-sized bedroom with an attached ensuite and a heavy door with a catflap. Janus was sitting at a desk, reading something. 

“I see you have changed your minds.” he said, not looking up. “Remus, would you mind getting your brother?” Janus finally got up and strode over to the group. He grabbed V’s arm tightly before Remus unlocked the heavy door. Logan took a peek into the room and saw it was no bigger than a broom closet. Roman was sat against the back wall, his wrists duct taped behind his back. Remus roughly grabbed the man by the shoulders and pushed him forward. 

“Bye bye, Ro! I had fun!” the pungent man beamed. Patton gently put a hand on Roman’s arm and the three men left the warehouse. As they were reaching the exit they heard a yelp and a door slamming. It was probably V. Both Roman and Patton flinched at the sounds. But there was nothing more they could do than wait. 

Roman hadn’t spoken a word since he had returned. Logan was looking after his injuries, which there were a lot of. Remus’ idea of “fun” was apparently beating his brother until he broke. Roman’s pride was just as bruised as his body. 

“How are you doing, Roman?” Logan asked. Roman only huffed. 

“You still do not wish to speak. I see.” the bespectacled man said. Roman looked at him, his dark eyes lacking their usual glint. Patton came into the room with two mugs of tea. He placed one on the bench and handed the other to Roman. Roman took the tea and sipped it, still not saying a word. He suddenly slammed his hand on the stretcher. 

“ Cómo podría rendirme así? Y la mirada engreída en su rostro! ” he yelled at himself, which roughly translated to,  ‘ How could I just give in like that? And the smug look on his face.’

“You alright, Ro?” Patton asked, concerned. 

“I just let him! I let him hit me! I let him take V! I failed! I-I failed. I’m such a failure.” Roman said, tears beginning to slip down his cheeks. 

“You didn’t fail, Roman. V said he could handle himself.” Patton said, taking a seat next to the robust man. 

“Against Remus? No. No one can. He has a way. It- it’s like- I don’t know how to describe it. Like around him is just a field of uncertainty and when you’re in it, nothing makes sense apart from pain. Pain’s the only thing that feels real. Pain and hopelessness.” He said, using his grand arm gestures to attempt to get his point through. 

“Don’t worry. We’ll have V back in a few days at most, ok? It’s gonna be fine. All princes face struggles sometimes.” Patton said, leaning against him gently 

“Perhaps. But it still sucks.” he huffed. “I need to rescue him. It’s my fault.” 

“No you don’t. He’ll be back in a few days.” Patton insisted softly. 

“And if he isn’t?” Roman quizzed. Patton thought for a moment. 

“If he isn’t then we’ll come up with something else.” he said. Roman looked down at his hands. 

“Fine.” he huffed, returning to his tea. He mumbled something under his breath as he took a large sip of his tea. 


End file.
